Libya Assumes Presidency of UN Security Council

January 1, 2008
 Voice of America News
Original Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-01-voa30.cfm

Libya has assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council, another step in Tripoli's move to renew diplomatic ties with the West.
Libya takes over the presidency of the 15-nation body from Italy, and will serve in that role through the end of the month. 
In October, the U.N. General Assembly elected Libya, Vietnam, Burkina Faso, Croatia and Costa Rica as non-permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. They will serve two-year terms beginning Tuesday.
Libya - long criticized in the West for state-sponsored terrorism - has been seeking reconciliation with Europe and the United States since renouncing terrorism and nuclear weapons in 2003. Western governments began lifting sanctions against Libya a year later.
Countries preside over the Security Council for one month. The rotation goes in English alphabetical order by country name.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.